Masculinity in British Cinema, 1990-2010

by Sarah Godfrey

From the new man to the metrosexual, British society from the 1990s to the 2000s was pre-occupied with questions about masculinity, and more specifically with the idea that it was somehow ‘in crisis.’ The first book-length study of British cinematic representations of masculinity in this period, this fascinating study offers a feminist analysis of key tropes in this era, including the New Lad, fatherhood and masculine violence. Positioning these representations within the specific context of British manifestations of postfeminism and neoliberalism, the book explores the shifting representations of masculinity in popular British cinema and offers a detailed analysis of important recent developments in gender culture. With case studies of films like Brassed Off (1996), The Full Monty (1997), Trainspotting (1996) and About a Boy (2002), this book is a fascinating insight into an understudied period of British cinema and culture.

268 pages, Hardcover

Published December 17, 2021

About the author

Sarah and Victoria run the writing help blog Keyboard Smash Writers on both Tumblr and Blogspot and are the authors of the urban fantasy “Marionettes of Myth” and “Monsters of Myth” companion series. They live together in California where they regularly channel their characters in even the most mundane of situations. If ever eaves are dropped when they're out in public, there's a large chance that the people they are gossiping about are, in fact, characters.

Reviews

[Martin Raybould · Rating 4 out of 5]

A PhD thesis turned into an informative and well thought out study. This plugs a gap in British cinema studies although it is yet another feminist look at masculinity 'in crisis'. High time methinks for men to tell their side of the story!